MrObsessive

That's a nice idea Lyn! However, I've seen penny auctions end up for hundreds of dollars when it's all said and done! Like you said, it all depends on how badly a group of folks want it!

Now that the putty has hardened up, I went ahead and smoothed everything out. Now the area where the parting lines were are even-----the nice thing about this putty is it feather edges wonderfully, and primer and paint should go over it with no trouble. To get rid of the "empty" look of the opening, I'll be soon adding a lip to the perimeter of the opening. This is pretty simple to do, and I'll show how I do it here a bit later. Now lets turn our attention to this wavy tulip panel. One thing I like to do to not disturb original contours is to put tape over areas that I don't want sanded away. In the case of the tulip panel, I need to sand right against the area of the roofline where the crease meets the panel. I laid Tamiya Tape as it bends very easily and won't leave any tape residue when I'm done. If the tape starts to wear away while I'm sanding--------just replace it with some more! This is an easy and cheap method to do......it'll save you a lot of headaches trying to recreate contours (or worse scripts) because of over-enthusiasm with sanding. If you're contest inclined, you want to catch the eye of judges immediately? Make sure the roof, trunk, and hood are spotless and wrinkle/divot free! One of the first things I notice if I'm judging a show are those areas as naturally they're facing the light. Prep work is paramount here as you want to make the surface smooth, and without and imperfections due to the molding process. In the case of this Mercury------there's a lot of real estate on this roof, so we want to make sure this area early in the game is as smooth as can be. Same goes for the hood. We want to protect the windsplit molded on the hood, so lets employ the Tamiya Tape once again to keep from sanding this down. We can work one side at a time because of the windsplit. Here's an example of why you want to block sand the hood and roof. It's nice that the kit makers mold in detail such as the hood bracing and such. Or with the roof, a molded in headliner/dome lamp. The downside to this is because of the way parts are molded, this detail can show itself as a sink mark, or a mold depression on the top side of the part. What I said about making impressions when folks are viewing your model are quite evident here. You want this area to be smooth as snake's skin so when it comes down to final rubbing out and polishing, you should be able to see yourself as if looking in a mirror! One of the tools in my modeling arsenal is this handy item called a "Touch 'N' Flow" applicator. It's invaluable to get liquid glue to where you want it without a runny mess. Simply dip the open end in the glue jar, and the suction will pull the glue through. Turn it downwards, and the glue will flow towards the end. .............And here's my liquid glue of choice. Good 'ol Ambroid Pro Weld! I've been using this for years now and seldom build without it! I like it better than Tenax, because it doesn't evaporate as fast as Tenax in the jar, and I've found Tenax to lose its "bite" after so long. I wanted to glue the hinge on the trunk early.............Whenever parts have to be glued on body panels, I want to make sure the part doesn't "show up" on the topside. Since painting is one of the last things I do.........I want to make sure this is fully dried, and if there is some "topside ghosting", it can be sanded away with no problem before painting. A little goes a long way with Ambroid...........just touch the area with the tip and the glue will go to where it's needed by capillary action. Within seconds it's bonded-------but it's good to let it sit for awhile to make sure it stays put. Well that's it for now.............I've about finished block sanding the whole body, and now I'm working on getting the hood to sit properly with a few tweaks. Stay tuned!

Now THAT is a nice Camaro!! I'm usually not a fan of modern wheels on older cars, but this looks soooo right! Excellent job!

Okay, it's time to jump some more into the bodywork.............. I started to get rid of the parting lines starting with 400 grit and then followed up with 600 grit paper. Some builders may prefer to go super smooth with the sanding, however I've found that paint likes something to grab onto. If you give the surface of your plastic some "teeth", you'll have better adhesion to the surface, and less chipping/wearing away will result. So far this is looking good.............but hold the phone!! I learned a technique years ago by Ted "Chopper" Lear about using liquid glue to get rid of ghosting. You see plastic has a very good memory! Not only does it like to go back to its original shape when it's bent, but it also remembers what was molded onto it! By brushing liquid glue (Ambroid is my favorite) on to the area sanded, you're bringing back the memory of those parting lines that were sanded away. Glue is about the hottest solvent you can put on plastic----it's what makes the plastic bond to itself in the first place. By letting the liquid glue thoroughly dry and then re-sanding the area, you're now "erasing" the memory of what was molded there. Thus when you paint, since paint is not a hot a solvent as glue, the memory shouldn't come back. This is great for you customizers out there, whether you're trying to get rid of trim, door handles, etc, without having to worry about the dreaded ghosting. Sometimes when sanding away parting lines, the surface isn't quite even where the parting lines are located. This is the case here with the rear section of this Merc. I decided to putty the uneven surface with Tamiya Putty------good stuff BTW as it shrinks very little (it has some aluminum in it) and it dries fairly quickly to be able to work with it. Just the same, I like to let my putties sit overnight so there are no surprises and I know the putty will have dried rock hard by the time I want to sand it. Moving on to basic sanding of the bodies-------this is where I see a number of models fall short. I've judged contests in the past where candy paint was used and more often than not the paint was drawing away from the door lines. This problem can be greatly reduced if you take a sanding block and sand the sides of the car around the door lines. This way you get rid of the "trough" which is due to the molding process and get the surface as flat and even as possible. Be careful when sanding though as you don't want to sand away details such as scripts, trim lines, etc. For the tulip panel where the surface was wavy, I've got a smaller piece of balsa wood to do this area. You want to be careful and keep the motion steady and follow the contours of the body, Don't try to rush things or more work will result! Well, that's pretty much it for now! Hopefully the putty will be dried enough to work with it tomorrow morning, and then it's on to other things. Stay tuned!

Yes, I'll be at the show next Sunday Randy barring any last minute SNAFUS! I'll bring the wee little 1/43 Ferrari I did a while back also. I may bring the forlorn '55 Ford which should be the next thing I need to get done. I've just been too lazy to get the chrome out to be redone, not to mention a myriad of small things that needs to be complete.

Thanks for all the compliments guys! I really appreciate it! Thank you Ed for the pics you sent nailing down the color of this beast! I don't think the next build will take near as long as there aren't any working features save for the opening trunk. However the build after that............hmmm..............

Now I've seen everything!! Better watch out Cranky! You'll start the next scandal in the Mags..............anyone remember the "Girls of SAE" fiasco?!

I was about to jump into a superdetailed build I have waiting in the wings, but seeing there are a lot of new folks here that are new at this crazy hobby we call model building----------I thought I'd do a thread on basic model building. My "guinea pig" is the 1991 reissue of the AMT 1949 Mercury. The last time I actually built one of these was for my Dad in 1986 (He still has it!) The first part of this thread will be just basic things to do before you lay on the first coat of paint. Important because a lot of newbies get disappointed when they jump into the first paint job and the results are less than stellar as can be expected from someone starting out. Hopefully, this little tutorial will help you out and you can always ask tons of questions if something is unclear. Okay, lets get started! Here's the box art of the kit that'll be used.............. When separating the parts from the trees.....DO NOT twist the parts!! Get yourself some decent cutters or this nifty little sprue cutter I got from our local train shop. It'll save you a LOT of grief later! No matter how close you get to the edge of cutting away a part, you'll still have a little nub that needs to be carefully filed down flush with the panel in question. You can use a diamond file (carefully) or use 400 grit sandpaper followed by 600 grit. As you can see here on this fender skirt, the little nub has to go. Failing to do this can lead to a ragged unfinished appearance to your final product. Next, scan the body for mold lines. This being an old tool it will be full of them.......most likely in the darndest of places. As pointed out by the arrows, there are at least four that I picked up on.......there are probably more along the body sides, but I want to concentrate on this for now. Here are a couple more at the rear. Not seen too well in this pic, there are "ripples" along the tulip panel which will still show up through your paint job in the end. We want to sand this as smooth as possible without causing a "trough" or "ridge" in the tulip panel. Balsa wood cut down to size is great for sanding along body work and can be cut easily to suit whatever shaping you'll need to do. Under the tulip panel are indentations for the trunk hinge. One has to be careful of this area especially when using the hotter paints such as lacquer and some acrylic enamels. Ghosting can occur where this was molded due to the thickness of the plastic obviously not being the same as the surrounding area. Once you get proficient in painting it might be wise to use some kind of barrier for the plastic (Future is a good one) or VERY SLOWLY apply your hotter paint to avoid the ghosting. I like to use mostly 400 grit sandpaper as mentioned above to get rid of parting lines followed up by 600 grit. Most of your local auto supply stores have this grit sandpaper on the cheap so it's good to stock up. I adviser staying away from the hobby sandpaper as for the cost they won't last you, and they don't fold up so nice and neat like the automotive grades do. Now mind you, I'm not the end all be all of knowledge when it comes to basics in kit building, and others may have a different way of going about this. However, keep in mind that these are my methods of doing things after over 30 years of building. Your mileage may vary! Stay tuned as I'll try to get rid of those mold lines and focus on some other "basics" in this not hopefully too long build! Thanks for lookin'!

I'm not a commercial truck guy, but this is a NICE BUILD!! Very nice detail, and excellent conversion if I may say so! The fact that the truck is as old as I am and still may be in use says a lot too!

Funny how 30 years can put a different perspective on things, because that was the last time I tried to build this thing. And if IIRC, the same thing happened then.......the hinges snapped except I was using the kit ones then! I knew nothing about soldering at that time, that wouldn't come to me until sometime in the early '90's. Thanks for the comments Bill.........I don't think I'll be attempting this one again for a looooooong time, although I still have an untouched "Those Famous Fords" issue of it.

A couple more shots................... This is where the model will be 99% of the time from here on out...........well it is under "glass" ain't it?

I finally got this hair raising kit done!! I gotta tell you, this one was fighting all the way, and at one point about a month ago, the drivers door hinge snapped off completely where it was originally soldered! Of course this was after I got the hinge retainer glued to the door. I was able to CAREFULLY take the hinge retainer off the body and resolder the hinge back together, with this time a larger solder fillet to keep this from happening again. I took some artistic license with some details of the kit------I extended the exhaust with aluminum tubing and bent them upward somewhat.......I also used PE for the grille although the pattern is not quite like the 1:1. There are still some aspects of this kit I don't like, the rear compartment door is forever trapped by the bumper------I didn't see this until the epoxy for the bumper had fully set. I didn't want to try to pry it open and thus ruining the paint job with a huge gouge. Also the rotating lights were left on the cutting room floor as they just didn't look right with them open. Much too bug-eyed for me! Anyway, here are the pics after all this time! Enjoy! My next project will be a somewhat back to basics for the newbies out there.............At least some of the basics will be covered such as body prep work which is important to getting a decent paint job. Consider it Modeling 101. What's the kit I'll be using?? Well just stay tuned and you'll see!

Given the choice of today's more reliable vehicles as opposed to yesteryear's cars of manual chokes, points and condenser ignition, and early rusting, I'd much rather have today's cars. I just lament the lack of imagination when it comes down to styling......especially the American cars. When you have cars that all have hoods that slope at the same angle, windshields that are at the same angle with pillars a mile wide, roof lines lacking any character or daring, well you've just cooked up a recipe for blandness which got old and stale fast. Add to that the aforementioned limitations of FWD styling and wheelbase placement-------well that adds to the "sameness" IMO. I wish the stylists would stop bowing at the altar of the aerodynamic gods and put some distinction and "pop" back into what might be to some "a boring sedan". Yeah I know they're trying to squeeze every MPG out of a car design these days...........but a car doesn't' have to be super aerodynamic to be beautiful. There are other ways to make cars more aero without looking like raindrops. Someone I heard quoted in the auto industry once said that a good looking car will sell itself.

VERY NICE!! I could have saved myself some work...............I built (but didn't finish) a '55 Victoria hardtop, I could have just modified that resin!

Harry, you don't know how many times I've wondered the same thing! There is probably only one answer = Daimler. I've thought about doing this very car a number of times using the original '68/'69 Charger, a Dodge Stealth roof......and maybe some fancy plastic surgery to create the front end. .............so many projects so little time!

Nope not at all! I'm focusing on basically the styling of FWD cars. Now I know styling is subjective........but how did we go to those beautifully proportioned Eldorados and Toronados of the '60/'70's to the anonymous lifeless styling that clogs the roads today? I was turned off (for the most part) by FWD many years ago when the first time I sat in one, the wheelwell was protruding inside the footwell! Terrible! Now my own car is a Saturn Ion Coupe.............a small car so it NEEDS front wheel drive. But larger cars look much better proportion wise with a RWD setup because the front wheels are closer to the front of the car, NOT pushed practically against the front of the door. Here's an example of a car that needs a serious wheelbase alignment............... 2008 Dodge Avenger..............I don't mean to step on someone's toes if they own one of these...............but to me this is a great (or terrible) example of why I dislike FWD on a lot of cars. .........and this is supposed to be a midsized car!

True Harry, but when you're talking about "The Standard of the World" such as Cadillac used to tout------FWD vs. RWD shouldn't be an issue. Especially with something that supposed to be "Flagship", to me it should be a no brainer. As was mentioned, BMW and Mercedes never went whole hog into FWD.............last time I saw, it snows quite a bit in Germany! ..........And I know it has a lot to do with cost, but that's my whole point-----need a car LOOK cheap even though it can be made cheaply within reason. Maybe I'm a bit nostalgic for days of yore because of seeing too many dang SUV's and Minivans on the road in the past decade.......

Besides this forum, I cruise some of the other 1:1 forums once in a while. One of my favorites is GM Inside News. This is where you can get the complete skinny on what's up and coming from GM (and others), critiques of such and some very good inside info of what's going on behind the scenes. I came across this very interesting thread about GM's dilemma of what to do about a new Cadillac flagship. The current business case calls for the vehicle to be FWD............this got the original poster to thinking-----if the car is to be front wheel drive, must it have to LOOK like a typical front wheel drive car? He pointed out one of my biggest gripes of FWD since it was foisted on us in earnest since the early '80's. The terrible long front overhang and the goofy "too close to the front of the door" placement of the front wheels which on a lot of cars (especially larger ones) simply looks horrendous! One only need to look at GM's offering starting in 1966 with the original Oldsmobile Toronado...........beautiful proportions (as only Bill Mitchell would do) and proper dash to front wheel distance to give the car a graceful yet muscular appearance. My original title of this thread was "Fall of the Automobile, Rise of the Appliance. I titled it so because, one of GM's biggest problems (and Ford and Chrysler) is they for too long have been making cars that no one really wants. They make/have made too many cars that have about as much personality as my refrigerator. The bad economy notwithstanding, one need only look at the Camaro, and the new '10 Mustang to see that a good looking car will sell itself. True these are niche vehicles and appeal to a minority of buyers considering---------but why can't someone make a sexy four door vehicle for the masses that wouldn't be considered "just another appliance"? Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts......if you want to check out the article on GMI just click here to see the thread in context. It's a long one, so grab a cup of coffee or a couple of sandwiches if you want to read through all those pages! Okay, enough of my rant.........I've got a certain Cougar to finish up before next weekend! An appliance it certainly is not!

I've got a bunch of pics on my Fotki page of a bare chassis C6 in its skeletal stage. If you click on the pic below, it'll take you there.......... HTH!

Since the jig is up as to what this is...........click here to see some more pics of this beautiful Cordoba!

Yo Dave! I'm almost done with the Cougar II after a number of setbacks (One MAJOR one a little while ago! ). I'll post the finished product here hopefully by next week as our Super September Showdown is coming up fast. I've got planned for my next build an "easy kit"..........but the one after that will be an all out superdetailed one along the lines of my '58 Chevy, and '57 'Vette. I'm gathering up a bunch of pics now and will also need a shop manual to get certain details right. What is it?? Why you'll just have to wait and see!

OOOhhh!! I just love this stuff!! Love all the scratchbuilt itty-bitty pieces! You scratchbuilding the frame is a swell idea-------you get it to be exactly what you want! Keep up the fantastic work!!

Not much of a bike guy-----------but man that is NICE!! Looks very realistic! I've got an old Tamiya BMW bike that needs restored..........hmmm, you've given me some inspiration!

Now that's just WILD!!

Another bit of advice I can give you if you'd like.............. I would separate your body parts from the trees before you paint them. While this is convenient for painting, trying to separate them off the trees after they're painted can leave a nasty gash or chip on those nicely painted parts. You could always tape the parts to the body, or anchor them to something close by so that your panels match after everything's painted. Hope this helps!